Cystic Acne Introduction

Acne cysts can be a very problematic skin condition. Nearly everyone will experience acne at some point in their lives, and no one is immune. Acne can afflict a newborn baby or your 80 year old grandmother. Most acne sufferers are teenagers, although many people see a resurgence (or even first-time incidence) of acne in adulthood. Acne is classified by type, and can range in severity from mild acne that is only a minor annoyance to severe acne that can lead to lifelong scars and embarrassment.

Severe Acne or Cystic Acne

Acne Vulgaris is the most common form that acne takes, and may cause several types of pimples, including blackheads, whiteheads, pustules, papules, nodules, and cysts. Acne cysts are the most severe of these, and are characteristic of severe Acne Vulgaris. Acne cysts, both traditional and adult acne cysts, can become quite painful. An acne cyst is identified by its size (5mm or larger across).

Other than the pain and frustration that having an acne cyst can bring, scarring from acne cysts is common. If the acne sufferer attempts to get rid of these painful lesions by “squeezing” the cyst – the action only works to worsen the problem, driving the infection in the cyst deeper into the skin and causing a more painful result than if the cyst had been left alone. We discuss treating acne cysts in greater detail in our article, Acne Cyst Treatment: 5 Options.

Acne Cyst Cures

Because of the nature of severe or cystic acne, and the deep cysts, painful inflammation and the extensive damage to the skin that results from the condition – many people with cystic acne will need to seek help from a medical professional or (optimally) a dermatologist. Cystic acne requires a treatment plan that is aggressive. With some of the most severe cases of Acne Vulgaris, acne cyst cures may fail – although there are various treatment options – so if one doesn’t work, the medical professional will try another.

Most cases of acne can be treated with success if the problem is addressed before too much damage by the way of scarring has occurred; severe cases of acne cysts left untreated can cause disfigurement. Acne cyst cures include both physical procedures and prescription medications.

Let’s look at the most common of these below; be sure to also read our article Acne Cyst Home Remedies for a look at home-spun acne cyst cures.

• Treatment with the acne medication Isotretinoin. Isotretinoin is only used to treat severe cases of acne. Made from retinoid, which is a form of Vitamin A, a course of this potent medication is usually taken daily for a period of up to five months. Although there are other medications used in the fight against acne, they may prove ineffective as an acne cyst cure and are usually prescribed for only mild or moderate acne problems.
• Corticosteroid injection. Severely inflamed acne cysts are often best treated through the use of interlesional corticosteroid injections that can treat the cyst before it ruptures and scars the delicate skin. A diluted form of corticosteroid works to dissolve the cyst in as little as two days, making this one of the best acne cyst cures
• Drainage of the cyst via surgical excision. Many of the largest acne cysts do not react to acne cyst medication and may require surgical drainage often referred to as “acne surgery”.
• Oral antibiotics. Most acne therapies and acne cyst cure regimens include a course of antibiotics, either for the entire treatment plan, or during treatment.
• Oral contraceptives. As an acne cyst cure, oral contraceptives work to suppress the overactive sebaceous glands (which cause acne in the first place). For adult acne cysts in female sufferers, oral contraceptives are often given in conjunction with synthetic steroids to magnify treatment effects.